Musings on Recipes, Artisans, Dining and Travel · Mostly Gluten-Free

The French Martini

I didn’t need a drink, but one at the end of today one sure sounded like a lovely idea. It was one of those days. Pretty much anything food-related and a nice, brisk walk put me in a better mood. Thankfully a jaunt to Trader Joe’s was necessary for what I had in mind: The French Martini, a sweet combination of vodka, raspberry liquor and pineapple juice. Without much time between idea and action, I didn’t have the chance to confirm the gluten-free status of Chambord. However, I knew that The Joe’s carries a slim bottle of raspberry wine. Good enough.

It’s exactly what I was looking for in a drink tonight. Not something dark and moody (hello, whiskey), but a concoction that speaks more of a tropical island getaway. (Boy does that last part sound great.) Instead of on the next flight out of SFO, you can find me chilling on my window seat — drink in hand — with the windows thrown open letting the stiff breeze blow in. I’ll be reading a book, imagining the fog rolling past is an ocean spray, closing my eyes and pretending the rustling of leaves from the neighbor’s tree is instead the sound of waves crashing on the shore. If only those darn fog horns would stop ruining the illusion.

Instructions

Combine vodka through raspberry wine in a cocktail shaker or Mason jar with a few cubes of ice. Cover and shake vigorously to combine. Taste mixture, and if too sweet for your liking add lemon juice; cover and shake once again. Strain mixture into a martini glass or Champagne coupe — preferably chilled, but it’s not essential — and serve immediately.